Stagnant Water is Bound to Rot (3)
The wind swept past, brushing gently against his ears.
A single leaf rode the breeze, skimming right before the closed eyes of Yeon Hojeong.
At that instant, a streak of light erupted from afar.
Piiiuuuung!
An iron arrow tore through the air, flying with lethal precision toward the leaf.
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes snapped open, flashing like lightning.
Thwack!
The Baekryongbu, flicked upward in a short, crisp motion, split the arrow cleanly in two.
Given its blistering speed and terrifying penetrative force, the fact that it had been bisected so effortlessly spoke volumes. Part of it was due to the axe’s worthiness as a divine weapon, but it was equally proof that his control over power was flawless.
Muk Bi released the bowstring.
Pipipipipiping!
Five invisible arrows screamed forward.
It was the formless bullet five-shot. And they were not all fired in straight lines.
Some flew true, others traced elegant arcs. Some drifted almost lazily while others arrived so quickly that reacting to them seemed impossible.
It was breathtaking archery, designed to sow chaos in an opponent’s responses.
Yeon Hojeong swung his twin axes at a terrifying speed.
Perperperperpeng!
The five formless arrows shattered one after another, each destroyed at precisely the right moment.
Hooooong.
The resulting shockwave sent the leaf spiraling high into the sky.
Piiiiiiiiing!
Muk Bi, refusing to lose her target, unleashed an arrow that generated a violent storm wind.
It was the Guryongpacheongung—the Dragon Fang Cannon. The arrow that ripped through the atmosphere carried the destructive power of a siege engine.
In a flash, Yeon Hojeong soared high into the air and positioned himself before the leaf, swinging the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes in a diagonal arc.
Kwaaaang!
The air shuddered violently, and Yeon Hojeong’s body was pushed back slightly.
Uuuuuung!
Even as he was sent flying, he channeled force through the tips of his toes. The leaf, blasted backward, glided smoothly in tandem with his movement.
Muk Bi fired a desperate barrage.
Pipipipipipiping!
The arrows of an archer who had broken through the martial wall were so fast and powerful that even masters one or two realms above her would struggle to respond.
Perperperperperperpeng!
Yet every single attack was neutralized by Yeon Hojeong’s axe work, which had long since transcended the realm of mere technique.
With razor-sharp senses, he read the trajectory of every arrow. Simultaneously, he deployed the most efficient Sasinmu possible in that instant—minimum movement, maximum efficiency. It was a display of skill so refined it seemed almost demonic.
Srrrk.
Yeon Hojeong landed lightly on the ground and hooked the twin axes at his waist.
“Tsk.”
Parararak!
Muk Bi arrived in a breathtaking display of footwork, landing softly before him.
“I thought I’d get through in five exchanges.”
“Your arrows have gotten faster and sharper. Your power control is completely natural now too. You’ve definitely risen a level compared to before.”
“And yet I still couldn’t hit a single leaf.”
“I was blocking them, you know.”
“What incredible confidence.”
Yeon Hojeong let out a small laugh.
“Thanks to you, I’ve completely gotten used to them. I appreciate it.”
At Yeon Hojeong’s level, he could wield even a newly acquired weapon with enough mastery to be called a grandmaster. But that was merely the beginning. The true challenge lay in making the weapon melt completely into his own martial arts.
Fortunately, his understanding of weapons surpassed anyone else’s, and his proficiency with axes and bare-handed combat was already high. As a result, he had fully claimed the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes in a short period of time.
Muk Bi asked, “They definitely feel different from the Mad Dragon Axe. The destructive power of a single strike has decreased, but they feel much faster and more precise.”
“It’s the difference in shape and weight. The Mad Dragon Axe is, to put it simply, an extreme destruction-oriented weapon based on the spear and the blade. Its single-strike power doesn’t lose to any weapon under the heavens, but without adaptive ingenuity, it will always have weaknesses in defense and linked attacks.”
“Whereas the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes excel in adaptability and chained strikes, and are therefore exceptional in defense as well. Even if their individual strike power has decreased.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, even that isn’t much of a problem at your level, Young Master Yeon. Frankly, the Mad Dragon Axe’s destructive power is almost worthy of being called a siege weapon. When dealing with people, you don’t really need that much raw power.”
“It’s useful when facing experts who have reached a higher realm than me. Especially when coordinated attacks are necessary.”
Muk Bi’s expression turned curious. “Is it that difficult?”
“What is?”
“You’ve… already reached the ultimate realm once before.”
She was referring to his days as the Black Dark Emperor.
Yeon Hojeong gave a bitter smile.
“Of course, my current enlightenment is the same as it was during my time as the Black Dark Emperor. However, the gap between my physical body and my internal energy is still quite large. I’m working to close that distance, but… I can’t think of any method that would let me reach that realm in one leap.”
“It’s strange. I heard that in the Central Plains, martial arts are usually built upon the divine arts of Buddhism and Taoism, so enlightenment is said to be more important than anything else.”
“That’s correct.”
“Which means that even if the body and internal energy are lacking, if one’s enlightenment has reached the ultimate realm, the body and energy will develop at a frightening pace to match that enlightenment. At least, that’s what I understand.”
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“Sasinmu follows a different path from Buddhist or Taoist martial arts. While its roots may have been influenced by them, Sasinmu is ultimately a thorough combat art that excludes enlightenment. That’s why it doesn’t even have flashy finishing moves that could be called sure-kill techniques. Its sole purpose is to slaughter the enemy with the most efficient movement possible in that exact moment, in that exact battle.”
“Wasn’t it called the Vermillion Bird Art? You said it was a killing method.”
“A killing method is just a killing method. Of course, as you progress to the later forms, the power and killing intent increase, but that’s simply a matter of technical efficiency. It wasn’t designed with raw power as the main focus.”
“It’s complicated.”
“You can say that again.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“Maybe that’s why it was so interesting to ponder over. How easy it would have been if it were like other common martial arts with rigidly fixed forms.”
Despite his words, Yeon Hojeong firmly believed that Sasinmu was the strongest martial art for battles in the mortal world.
It possessed clear forms, yet could freely transform according to the situation. Because it was difficult to master, once one did, they could respond to any moment.
In other words, simply training in Sasinmu could dramatically increase one’s overall understanding of martial forms. Of course, the training itself was frustrating enough to make one’s blood boil.
“But still…”
“Hm?”
Muk Bi tilted her head.
“If you reached such a realm before the age of fifty, that means your overall ability improved dramatically from the very first time you trained in Sasinmu, right? And quite significantly at that.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“No matter how much Sasinmu isn’t a martial art of enlightenment, you had already walked that path once before.”
“And?”
“It’s just strange. You said Sasinmu is a martial art of the battlefield, where its growth and utility are maximized in life-or-death fights. Yet somehow, your progress doesn’t feel the same as before.”
“…!”
“Ah, I’m not saying your level is low. It’s actually incredible. I still can’t even see the tail end of the realm you reside in. It’s just…”
Muk Bi smiled awkwardly.
“That’s just the thought that came to me. For some reason, you’re the kind of person who makes others expect things from you. Every day that passes, you grow again, and even when I grit my teeth and try to catch up, when I look up you’ve already gone even further ahead.”
“Hmm.”
“So lately I’ve been thinking, ‘So even this person has a human side after all.’”
Though Muk Bi had spoken rather carefully, the shock Yeon Hojeong received was considerable. Really? Muk Bi has a point.
While Sasinmu was not a martial art of enlightenment, when he had first regressed, his body and true energy had indeed grown at a frightening rate.
Of course, it wasn’t solely because of Sasinmu. It was also thanks to the Biying True Art, and because his understanding and efficiency regarding energy from his days as the Black Dark Emperor allowed him to progress faster than anyone else.
But now… What is this?
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes trembled. Am I stagnating without even realizing it?
He looked down at his own two hands.
The palms that had once been covered in thick calluses had, at some point, become smooth and glossy again as his true energy became active. They weren’t completely without calluses, but they were nowhere near as thick as they had been during his time as the Black Dark Emperor.
Yeon Hojeong’s gaze sank deeply. I thought I was constantly making an effort in my own way, but was that effort too habitual? Too mechanical?
No, that wasn’t it.
Yeon Hojeong had always trained with clear goals in every moment. His eyes had been fixed on the realm he reached as the Black Dark Emperor, and his energy had always been razor-sharp in its drive to reach that level.
Then why was there no longer the same growth as before? It was a path he had already walked, just as Muk Bi said. Moreover, it wasn’t as if he had been lacking in fierce battles.
“Young Master Yeon.”
“…”
“Young Master Yeon?”
“Ah? Yes? What is it?”
Muk Bi cleared her throat.
“Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but your father has arrived.”
Yeon Hojeong turned his head.
Yeon Wi stood there.
“Father.”
Yeon Wi nodded.
“Were you training?”
“Ah, yes.”
Though his mind had been deeply troubled for a moment, he could not show it before his father.
Yeon Hojeong straightened his expression.
“Have you come regarding Moyong Gun?”
“That is correct.”
“What was the result?”
Yeon Wi gave a bitter smile.
“That man is truly no ordinary person.”
“Which means…?”
“It was a success. The Vice-Leader of Mukryong has agreed to open the path. Though that was what was said, judging from the Moyong Family Head’s face, it seems we can expect implicit support as well.”
Yeon Hojeong clicked his tongue.
“As expected of Moyong Gun.”
Despite having gained a meaningful result, Yeon Wi’s expression was not particularly bright.
Yeon Hojeong comforted him with kind words.
“Do not be too disappointed. Moyong Gun is a thorough man. It has become impossible to completely bury our relationship with Mukryong-bu from the public eye, but if this allows us to change Yang Cheon’s mind, it can be considered a gain greater than anything else.”
Indeed. When Yeon Wi had asked Moyong Gun for help, the condition he had presented was that their connection with Mukryong-bu would be kept hidden.
If it became known that the leader of a prestigious righteous faction had made a deal with the leader of the dark faction alliance, the entire world would be shaken. Not only would Moyong Gun’s political life be completely destroyed, but his very life could be forfeit.
That was not all. The Moyong Family itself would be dragged into the mud. They might not be treated as public enemies of the murim like the Nine Great Families, but they would never again be able to hold their heads high.
Yeon Wi—no, to be precise, Yeon Hojeong—had used that as leverage to move Moyong Gun. It was like a promissory note. A note whose effectiveness was unquestionable.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“It is not because I have lost a card that could topple the Moyong Family Head. It is simply… frustrating.”
“Pardon?”
“It is simply frustrating. Not everyone in the world thinks as I do, but are we not all too selfish? I thought the King of Combat, Yang Cheon, was a hero with both honor and magnanimity, even if the path he walks is different. To realize that in the end he too is merely a martial artist blinded by worldly desires… it leaves a bitter taste.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
It was a smile laced with bitterness.
“Desire tests people without discrimination.”
“Yes… it seems so.”
Yeon Wi took a deep breath.
“In any case, the deal with the Lord of Mukryong-bu ends here. Now it is our turn to…”
“Raise hell.”
“Correct.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes sharpened.
“Department Head Muk.”
Muk Bi bowed her head.
“Yes, Great Leader.”
“Relay the order for all members of the Myeolsa Army to gather before the Southern Great Gate within two hours.”
“Understood.”
Yeon Hojeong looked up at the sky.
“The king of the assassination world… So it really is that bloodline?”